Author: AEN Staff

Oil prices up more than 13 per cent since early December Oil prices rose on Wednesday after data from the US Energy Information Administration showed crude stocks in the United States fell more than analysts had anticipated. By 1:28 p.m. EST, Benchmark Brent was at $68.86, up 4 cents after reaching a high earlier in the session of $69.37, the highest since May 2015. US WTI rose 29 cents to $63.25/barrel, falling from its session high of $63.67, the highest since Dec. 9, 2014. The Canadian Crude Index rose to $40.59. The EIA reported that crude inventories fell by...

Tesla solar roof generates electricity without traditional rooftop panels On Tuesday, Tesla Inc reported manufacturing of its solar roof tiles began at the company’s Buffalo, New York factory in December. The Palo Alto-based company says it has also begun surveying the homes of customers who signed up for the product last year. Tesla solar roof tiles generate electricity without the use of solar panels. The technology is a cornerstone of the company’s strategy to encourage consumers to shift to a fossil-fuel-free lifestyle powered by Tesla. The solar roof panel technology was unveiled by Tesla in October 2016 just as...

Oil prices rise as OPEC cuts more output than promised Oil prices rose on Tuesday to levels not seen since December 2014 on the OPEC supply cut pact and analysts’ expectations of a decline in US crude stocks. By 3:02 p.m. EST, Brent crude had risen by 95 cents to $68.73/barrel, topping levels last seen in May 2015 and US WTI was up $1.16 to $62.89, the highest since December 2014. The Canadian Crude Index sat at $40.21, up $1.02. “You’re so long this market at this point, you could certainly get more interest at these levels,” Rob Haworth,...

The Electrifying Path to Decarbonization — Part 2 By Dylan Heerema Electrification of heating and cooling in homes and buildings offers many benefits to consumers — and can significantly reduce carbon pollution from the built environment. However, cost and other challenges currently stymie the use of electric technologies such as heat pumps. Utilities have an important role to play in accelerating the adoption of these technologies, and also stand to benefit from the integration of these devices with their systems. Preparing for growth in distributed and connected energy resources, on both the supply and demand side, is part of the transition...

This article was published in The Energy Collective on Dec. 26, 2017. The Electrifying Path to Decarbonization — Part 1 By Dylan Heerema Furnaces, boilers, and other heating equipment constitute one of Canada’s largest sources of carbon pollution. In fact, the burning of fossil fuels in homes and buildings — mostly natural gas and heating oil — accounts for around 12% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. In order for Canada to reap the benefits of tomorrow’s low-carbon economy, we must transition away from these dirty fuels and toward emissions-free alternatives. Fortunately, solutions already exist — one of the most promising being the...